Mount Saint Mary College's School of Nursing documented the trials and triumphs of students, faculty, staff, and alumni over the course of the pandemic and sealed it in a time capsule on Tuesday, May 11, to be opened by the college's Dean of Nursing in 25 years.
The time capsule contains current photos, publications, and letters to the future leaders and students of the Mount. It also has other historical Mount items, such as a Mount-branded cloth mask.
The time capsule was sealed with a padlock until the capsule's reopening in 2046. Until that time, it will remain on display on the college's campus.
The Mount time capsule was made possible by a three-person team: Susan LaRocco, Dean of the School of Nursing; Kathleen Pecoraro, instructor of Nursing; and Erica Torres, administrative assistant for the School of Nursing.
Properly distanced from the audience, LaRocco and Pecoraro briefly removed their masks for the ceremony, which was held on what would have been the eve of Florence Nightingale's 201st birthday.
"A time capsule is belief in our future," said LaRocco. "We believe the Mount will be here, the School of Nursing will be here, our profession will be right here on our campus and we will have a whole new batch of nurses. Think about it: the students who will be here in 25 years haven't even been born yet."
While no one can see what the future holds, Pecoraro said there is great value in knowing about one's past.
"It's enlightening to look back and see where we came from, in order to get to where we are going," she said. "I hope that when they open this [time capsule], COVID-19 is a thing of the distant past, and that everyone is healthy. I hope we've learned a lot both medically and socially from COVID."
After officially sealing the time capsule, LaRocco and Pecoraro announced the winner of the Mount's annual DAISY Foundation Nurse Faculty Award. This year, the award was earned by Lynette DeBellis, instructor of Nursing, for her dedication to the Mount and the community.
Less than a week prior, DeBellis had also been named a Top 20 Nurse in the region at the 2021 Excellence in Nursing Awards, hosted by Hudson Valley Magazine.
DeBellis, a 1985 graduate of Mount Saint Mary College, has been a registered nurse for 35 years. Recently, DeBellis and her dedicated students made history in the fight against the current pandemic. Under her guidance, about 50 Mount students administered some of the first-ever COVID-19 vaccines to the doctors, nurses, and other essential staff at four area hospitals.